Hi all,
Well just for a change ----
The lower engine support 'Z' struts support the radiator/engine cowl and the engine itself.
When I test fitted the lower 'Z' struts into the fuselage, I found they were leaning rearwards when in fact they should be perpendicular to the fuselage.
Therefore I 'tweaked' them to correct that.
A second pair of 'Z' struts are bolted to the front and rear struts and span up and forwards to attach to the underside of the upper wing, forming the central support structure.
I decided not to use the kit supplied upper ‘Z’ struts and replace them with struts created from micro-tube and rod, for the following reasons:
The photo-etch engine bearer plates and top of the lower engine ‘Z’ support struts have no locations for attaching the upper engine ’Z’ struts.
When test fitted into the location holes in the underside of the upper wing I found that the bottom of the struts on the two upper ‘Z’ struts were way too far rearwards and therefore not aligned with the tops of the lower ‘Z’ strut assembly, to which they should be attached (probably due to my correction of the lower 'Z' struts).
The actual upper ‘Z’ struts were made of three separate struts, not one combined assembly as provided with the kit parts.
To do this I drilled three 0.5 mm diameter holes through the lower 'Z' struts and the photo-etch engine bearer plates.
Then I created four support rods from 0.5 mm brass rod.
Finally I created four brass aerofoil sections that slid onto the support rods.
The upper wing now locates correctly onto the wing 'V' struts and the created brass struts.
Now I have to create the single struts that span between the top of the rear struts and the bottom of the front struts.
Remember - modelling is meant to be fun
Mike
